


If Only We Had More Time

by Towaneko



Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel 616, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Deal with Death, M/M, Merchant of Death, Mistress Death - Freeform, character death but not really
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-06
Updated: 2017-01-06
Packaged: 2018-09-15 05:43:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9221570
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Towaneko/pseuds/Towaneko
Summary: Tony just can't let Bucky go, not even for Death.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Shi_Toyu](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shi_Toyu/gifts).



> I dug out old comics to refresh my memory with Mistress Death and tried out a new writing style for this fic. 
> 
> I'm not sure how successful I was but I hope you like it! 
> 
> See end notes for more information on Mistress Death.

_‘Death has her favorites. Among those favored are her agents, her merchants and her ‘loves’. These few are the ones that she will let live, if only for the desire to continue watching over them. Yet for one Merchant she has granted so much more.’_

~~~5~~~

“I just need more time.”

“It is not within my power to give more time, young merchant.” 

“You can stop him from dying!” 

“Is that really what you wish?” 

“Yes.” 

“Only few can escape my grip. He is your other half, so I will grant you this one leeway. However his death cannot be delayed forever. At some point you will have to give him to me.”

“I understand. Just-just don’t let him die now.”

“For only you, my merchant.”

~~~9~~~ 

Tony woke to an empty bed. For a split second panic filled his body until he registered the sound of the shower running. Before he knew it, he was out of bed heading towards the bathroom. 

As soon as he entered, he was greeted with the sight of Bucky through the glass shower doors. 

“Tony?” Bucky turned to look at him, his arms up washing his hair giving Tony a clear view of his body. A pale white scar stretched across his hips in stark contrast to his lightly tanned skin, a reminder of the the fatal wound that almost took him away from Tony, again. 

“Are you going to join me or will you keep staring?” Bucky asked with a sly grin. 

Without saying anything Tony quickly stripped of his sleep pants before joining Bucky in the shower. Quickly wrapping himself in the wet embrace of his soulmate. 

Before Bucky could ask. “I had the dream again.” 

Understanding Bucky just wrapped his arms around Tony and let him soak in the comfort he could provide. 

Tony had never told Bucky any details, only that it was a dream about Bucky dying. Having bleed out from his wound and leaving him alone. Luckily Bucky never needed anymore details, willing to offer comfort and support at the mere mention of that day. 

Tony had never told him about the deals with Death.

Bucky probably wouldn’t take the news very well after all. The fact that Tony had exchanged numerous souls to keep Bucky alive. That he had once more taken up the title of Merchant of Death, to keep Bucky alive year after year.

As Bucky guided them out of the shower and helped him dry off, Tony had one thought in his mind. 

He would do whatever it takes to keep him. And with way things were going he couldn’t do it by himself any longer. 

“Bucky, I need to tell you something.” 

~~~1~~~ 

The first time Tony met Death was when he was ten years old, chained and bound at the bottom of a river. 

A result of his latest kidnapping. 

Howard had refused to pay the ransom, when would they get the hint that he didn’t care enough to pay? Then, like always, Tony had not been able to keep his mouth shut and antagonized his abductors. They had not taken it as well as the ones before them. 

Usually after the ransom was denied it wasn’t long before Tony would find his opportunity to escape. However this time the thugs decided to take out their disappointment about not receiving their money on Tony. Beating him until he fell unconscious. 

He came to just in time to recognize the weights around his ankles and to see the water as he was thrown in. 

Tony had stopped struggling by the time he spotted a figure walking towards him. 

His vision was filled with black spots so close to passing out that he didn’t even flinch when the figure leaned over him revealing a skeletal face. 

“Oh dear Anthony, we weren’t supposed to meet for another ten years. What are you doing here?” 

Then it all went black. Later when he woke in the ambulance he was sure it was all a dream. 

~~~8~~~

Tony was lounging on the couch waiting for Bucky to come home, when he heard the elevator ding. 

“Hello, John.” 

A young asian man entered the room, he looked no older than 18 and his hair was swept up  
revealing the large scar that went across his forehead.

“Hello, Tony. How did you know it was me?” 

Tony eyed him for a moment, takings a swig of his scotch before pointing to the ceiling. 

“JARVIS didn’t announce you. Only an agent of death can make it past my security, part of deal two.” 

“Then you probably know why I’m here.” 

“I won’t stop making deals.” 

John scowled. “You’re upsetting the balance! Every year you send more and more souls to the Mistress in exchange for one. How do you justify that?” 

“It’s none of your business.” 

“Not now it isn’t but soon it will be. Soon I’ll have to correct your mistakes and even out the balance. Even if it means I have to speed up the process. So tell me why.” 

He tossed back the rest of his scotch, letting the liquid burn down the back of his throat. “He’s my soulmate. If he dies, I want to die but-”

“The Mistress won’t allow one of her favorite Merchants to die. Not until she is ready.”

“Exactly. John, you can’t tell me you enjoy jumping from body to body. Knowing each time that whatever body you are possessing is someone who just died. That you can only live as long as you are in someone else’s body. What kind of life is that?” 

“The life of an Agent of Death. One I have made peace with. Have you?” 

“Get out of my penthouse.”

“You can’t avoid this forever, Stark. Eventually you won’t be able to barter any more years from the Mistress and what will you do then?” 

“That is for me to worry about and for you to stay out of. Now leave!” 

“Just remember that when the time comes and you try to come for help, that I warned you. You’ll forever be her Merchant but the same does not apply to your soulmate, no matter how much you wish it to be true or try to make it so.” 

Tony watched as the elevator doors closed and as soon as the man was out of sight he headed towards the bar refilling his glass. 

As long as he could make a deal, he wasn’t letting Bucky go.

~~~2~~~

The second time he saw Death was not long after he had received the new of his parents. 

This time he was too drunk to be surprised by the cloaked skeleton suddenly appearing before him. 

“Hey Miss Grim Reaper,” he slurred, squinting as he stared at the figure. “How is it you have boobs if you’re a skeleton?”

“You are not the first to ask me this.” 

“You show yourself to a lot of us mortals?” Tony asked as he struggled to open another bottle of vodka. 

“Only those I favor. I grant a lot of privileges to those I favor.”

“Really?” 

“My dear Anthony, you only have to ask.”

“I’ll have to remember that.”

~~~7~~~ 

“I need a medic! Now!” 

“Steve?!” Tony swerved blasting the last of the Doom Bots that had been chasing him as they turned the corner. “Steve!” 

There was a long pause before Hawkeye replied. 

“I have Steve in my sight. Bucky is down. SHIELD medics are minutes away.” 

“Tell them to move faster!” 

“BUCKY!” 

~~~3~~~ 

The next time he saw her was in Afghanistan. As he went in and out of consciousness, vaguely aware of the pain in his chest. 

“You’ve grown into such a wonderful Merchant. I am not ready to claim you just yet. Stay strong for your Mistress.” 

~~~7~~~

Tony stared at the calendar, March 16th. 

 

The day was fast approaching. 

“Anthony?”: Skeletal arms reached out from the shadows grasping him by the shoulders. 

“Can’t you stop it from happening? I’ll make whatever deal, offer you more-” 

“I already told you. It is not within my power to grant more time. I can only stop him from dying but Time knows. Bucky’s should have stopped long ago.”

Tony shook his head.

“I’m not letting him go.”

“As you wish.”

~~~4~~~

“Bucky Barnes.” 

“I know what your name is.” 

“I like to start things off right.” 

“Just because this is our first date doesn't mean you have to pretend we don’t know each other.”

“Then I’ll just skip to the good stuff. Tony Stark, I’ve known you for six months and I love you.” 

~~~10~~~

“Dear soldier, why do you keep doing this to my merchant?” 

“It’s not like I planned to die,” Bucky growled. A small sword was sticking out from his chest, his shirt completely drenched in his blood. The blade had pierced his heart. 

“There are only so many deals I can make.” 

“Then it’s time we made one together.” Bucky pulled the sword out, already in the presence of Death he didn’t have to worry about it causing more damage. 

“Together?” 

“Tony told me. And frankly I’m not ready to leave him either.” 

Bucky was met with silence before a cloaked figure of a woman stepped out from the shadows. Once she came further into the light Bucky was met with only a skeleton. 

“And what, my dear soldier, are you proposing?” 

“We know about Deadpool and Thanos.”

If it was possible for a skull to smirk Death would be. 

“Continue---” 

~~~~~

**Author's Note:**

> Basically in the comics Death was not only infiated/in love with Thanos but also Deadpool. To the point that Thanos fought with him and even 'killed' him to win Death's affections. 
> 
> She also did briefly have an Agent of Death, John Kowalski. I only had a few pages of reference to go off of for him so I'm sure he is out of character. 
> 
> See this [wiki](http://marvel.wikia.com/wiki/Death_\(Earth-616\)) for more information and probably more accurate information on Death in Marvel.
> 
> Original Prompt: AU where Tony is the Merchant of Death and keeps bartering Mistress Death for more time for Bucky. (Please do not make Hela the Mistress of Death.)


End file.
